Web browsers could leading edge video gaming

U.S. Web browser developers Google Inc. and Mozilla Corp. are developing ways for users to play games simply by opening a Web page, experts say. Freed from the need for an expensive game console, players could enjoy games from anywhere and on any device with an Internet connection. While current Web-based games are behind dedicated video games in sophistication and graphic presentation, browser-based games could catch up as software developers get into a market that could be worth billions of dollars annually, experts said. "With the Web, game developers can easily reach an audience of upwards of 2 billion users," Mozilla Director of Engineering Vladimir Vukicevic told the Los Angeles Times. "As a game developer, that is an extremely interesting and lucrative size of audience that crosses all demographics and all people who are interested in gaming." For game players, the chief advantage of browser games would lie in their ease of entrance; immediate access to a video game would be granted with the simply typing of a Web address. "There's no download, there's no plug-in, no hassle," said Marcus Kruger of Goo Technologies, a Swedish company offering a graphics engine and creative tools for developers and artists to create the visuals for browser-based games. "You can just play the game."